Material handling mechanism



7 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNvENToR.' 'Pm/L H V077/ fm #ML/@1% P. H. VOTH MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 6, 1941 May 4, v1943.

ATTORNEY 5 May 4, i943. P. H. v01-H MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM 'T Sheets--Sheae'r 3 Filed Dec. 6, 1941 INVENTOR. BY/ PAUL H. V077/ ATTORNEY May 4, 1943. P, H vom 2,318,438

MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Filed Dea. 6. 1941 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. PAUL H Vor-H y A TTORNEYS May 4, 1943. y P. H. vom 2,318,438

MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM I Filed Dec. 6, 1941l 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. PAUL H. V077/ MMM( 27 2k/ -f 'ATTORNEY May 4, 1943. P. H. vo'rH MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Filed Dec. e, 1941 '7 sheets-sheet e ATToRNEY P. H. vom 2,318,438

MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Filed DeC. 6, 1941 JNVENTOR. I. i' BY H404 Varf/ ATTORNEY5 v Patented May 4, 1943 MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Paul H. Voth, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor `to yWil-- lard Storage Battery Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of West Virginia Application December 6, 1941, Serial No. 121,928

7 Claims.

This invention relates to material handling and conveying mechanism and particularly to an improved form of take-out mechanism for transferring articles, particularly flat'artcles such as storage battery plates, from a substantially horizontal conveyor to suitable receiving means, such as a second conveyor, extending at substantially right angles to the rst conveyor and with the articles supported thereon in substantially vertical position and in parallel relation one to another.

In certain respects this invention is an improvement on the subject matter of an application filed January 11, 1939, in the name of Alfred R. Willard, Serial No. 250,393, now Patent No. 2,266,110, granted December 16, 1941, and in certain other respects is an improvement on the construction shown in the E. W. Smith Patent No. 2,006,844 granted January 2, 1935.

'I'he principal object of the present invention is to provide certain improvements in the constructions shown in the Willard and in the Smith patents above mentioned so as to provide a material handling -apparatus and particularly a take-out mechanism which is generally more satisfactory in operation than the take-out mechanisms illustrated in said patents.

The invention may be brieiiy summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of Darts which will be described in the specication and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings showing the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is an end view of the apparatus looking toward the take-out mechanism and the takefout or receiving conveyor; l

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same partly in section substantially along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig; 3 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view partly in section showing the take-out mechanism in side elevation;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View substantially along the line 6 6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. l is a View similar to Fig. 4 with certain parts for actuating the take-out mechanism shown in a dierent position than in Fig. ll;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view substantially ralong the line 8-8 of Fig. 9 A Y Fig. 9 is anl enlarged sectional plan view of the principal parts of the mechanism, the section being taken substantially along the line 2-2 of ll l) Fig. 1, this view being similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 10 is a sectional plan View showing par; ticularly the power unit, the section being taken substantially along the line lll-IIJ of Fig. l;

Fig. 11 is a detail sectional View of part of the power unit, the section being taken ysubstantially along the line I I-I I of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is a detail sectional View substantially along the line I 2--1 2 of Fig. 11.

The mechanism constituting the subject matter of this application, like the mechanisms of the Willard and the Smith patents referred to above, is designed particularly for conveying and handling double storage battery'plates having corner lugs at 'their opposite ends, the' plates being conveyed either directly from the pasting machine to the take-out mechanism or in some instances after they leave the pasting machine being first conveyed through a heating chamber which at least partially dries and sets the paste.

In the construction illustrated in the Willard patent, the take-out mechanism is in the form of an intermittently operated double star wheel which lifts the plates from the conveyor along which the plates travel from the pasting machine in horizontal position and delivers them in substantially vertical position onto receiving rails from 'which they are moved by intermittently operated pusher members onto an intermittently operated take-out conveyor, the plates being sup'` ported on the rails and on the take-out conveyor by their corner lugs with the body portions of the plates extending down between'the rails and be-l tween thel chains of the take-out conveyor.

In the Smith patent there is a combined take; out and transfer mechanism consisting o f pairs of toothed sprocket chainsv Which not onlylift the plates off the intake conveyor and carry them Vthrough an arc4 of 90 from horizontal po`- sition to vertical position vbut part of the chains are continued beyond this point so as toj'support them in` vertical position while they are being conveyed a substantial distance from the takeout point.

Ihe present invention resides principally in an improved take-out mechanism, there being employed in place of the double star wheel of the Willard patent and instead of the pairs or groups of take-out and conveying chains ofthe Smith patent a take-out mechanism which consists of a pair of toothed wheels which engage under the inner edges of the plates and a pair of sprocket l chains having teeth which engage under the outer edgesof the? plates.

and toothed sprocket chains support the plates only while they are being moved through an arc of substantially 90, i. e., while being transferred from horizontal position to substantially vertical position, and then the plates are automatically deposited onto the receiving means consisting in this instance of the intermittently moving chains of a take-out conveyor.

The articles handled by the present mechanism are in this instance double storage battery plates I5 with corner lugs I5a at their opposite ends. They are delivered to the take-out mechanism horizontally and in end-to-end relation by a chain conveyor which in this instance is in twosections including a main section I6 and a short auxiliary section Il which is in line with section I5 and is located at the point where the plates I5 are lifted and swung upwardly by the take-out mechanism and delivered to the receiving mechanism. The chains of the two conveyor sections I6 and I 'I are driven continuously and at the same speed, and in the gap between the two sections I6 and I'I driven rollers I8 are provided to insure the uninterrupted delivery ofthe plates from the section I6 to the section Il.

All the parts of the mechanism constituting the present invention, with the exception of the far end of the conveyor section I6 and the far end' of the take-out conveyor to be referred to presently are supported by a frameA which is designated as a whole by the reference character I9, and'when the various parts of the mechanism are referred to it may be assumed that they are supported by the frame I9.

In the lower part of the frame is a power unit to be referred to presently, and this power unit drives the chains of the conveyor sections I6 and I'I continuously and actuates intermittently the take-out mechanism and other parts to be referred to. This power unit, through chain and sprocket gearing 2U including a sprocket on the conveyor shaft 2 I, drives'the; chains of the conveyor section I6. andthe chains of the conveyor section II are driven from shaft 2l by chain and sprocket gearing 22. The chains of the conveyor sections I3 and I1 engage suitable sprockets on sprocket supporting shafts which need not be described in detail` The plates are stopped on the auxiliary section I'I of the conveyor in position to be picked up by the take-out mechanism and the mechanism for stopping the plates, islike that disclosed in the Willard patent and, briefly, is as follows: Near the end of the travel of each plate I5 it engages a finger 23 mounted on an arm 2.4 journaled to swing on' a vertical stud 25 and the movement ofthe plate I5' is stopped when the arm 24 engages, an adjustable stop 25 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9. The swinging movement imparted to the arm` 24 operates a switch 21 which; causes the energization or aV solenoid which will be referred to presently and which controls the intermittent movements of` certain of the parts including the take-out mechanism which will now be described. Just before the plates engage the finger 23 their movement is retarded by having their forward. side edges frictionally engage flexible retarder-s. These re.- tarders in this instance consist of flexible sheet metal; fingers 23a supperted on a U.shaped frame 23h. These fingers have portions projecting upwardly from the forward ends of the arms of ther framesb, note particularly Fig. 8, and at their upper ends have outwardly flaredv projecting portions arranged soas to be engaged by the forward side edges of the plates and in a position so as not to interfere with the toothed members of the take-out mechanism.

The take-out mechanism consists of two lifting and supporting members for the inner portions of the plates I5, these being in the form of two toothed wheels 28 (see Figs. l, 4, 7, and 9) and two lifting and supporting members for the outer portions of the plates I5, these being in the form of two sprocket chains 29, the latter having plate engaging teeth or lugs 30 (see Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and '7). The wheels 28 which have equally spaced peripheral plate engaging teeth are secured on a horizontal shaft 3I which is supported by the frame on the inner side of the auxiliary conveyor I'I and at about the level of the latter. The chains 29 pass around two end sprockets 32 secured to a lower horizontal shaft 33 and around two end sprockets 34 secured to an upper horizontal shaft 35. The shaft 33 extends along the outer side of the auxiliary conveyor Il at the level of the shaft 3| and the upper shaft 35 is a suitable distance above the shaft 3l. The outer runs of the chains 29 engage idler sprockets 33 and the inner runs of the chains engage arc-shaped guides 31 having chain engaging arc-shaped slots (see particularly Figs. 5 and 6) which are concentric with the axis ofshaft 3I and therefore concentric with respect to the plate lifting and supporting toothed wheels 28. The idler sprockets are adjustably supported on extensions of the guides (see Figs. 4 and 7).

The wheels 28 and the chains 29 are moved intermittently and the number of teeth-on the wheels and chains and the extent of movement imparted to the wheels and chains are such that at each intermittent movement both the wheels and the lower runs of the chains 2S are moved an arcuate or angular distance equal to the spac-v ing of the teeth on the wheels 28 and the spacing of the teeth 38 on the inner arc-shaped runs of the chains 29, note particularly Fig. 4. When a .plate I5 comes to rest on the auxiliary conveyor section I I, a pair of teeth. on the Wheels 28 and a pair of teeth on the'arcuate portions of the chains 29 are directed beneath the inner and outer edges respectively of the plate on the auxiliary conveyor I'l, and as soon as the plate comes to rest the wheels 28 and the chains 23 lift and advance the plate a distance equal to the arcuate or angular distance between the teeth, as explained above. The plates I5 gradually approach upright position and when they reach substantially upright position they leave the wheels 28 and chains 29 cf the take-out mechanism and drop by gravity onto anv intermittently operated receiving conveyor 38 consisting of two chains supported by rails 3B- of the frame I9, the lugs. I5a, of the plates resting on the chains and the body portions of the plates extending down between the chains. The plates are moved along this conveyor in spaced relation as shown in Fig. 4 with their lower edges engaging a bar 48 adjustable as to height, the purpose of this bar being to prevent the plates from swinging and damaging one another as they are deposited by the take-out mechanism onto the chains of the receiving conveyor 38. It is to be noted particularly by reference to Figs. 1 and 4 that the forward sprockets which support the chains of the receiving conveyor 38 are located between the shaft 3l supporting the lower toothed wheels 28 and the upper shaftl 35 which supports the sprockets 34 engaged by the L toothed chains 29. In other words, the receivingr -conveyor 38 .3| and Astantially .to substantially vertical Y wardly or inwardly projecting ends of the con- Iveyor 38 are on opposite sides of the body por- .cleaner blade 42 cleansoff the paste the front edge portion of the wiper blade 4| after each wiping operation by the blade 4scribed shortly.

`drives a conveyor drive .continuously the chain and sprocket gearing 28 projects well in between the shafts so that when the plates reach sub-l vertical yposition and are discharged by the take-out mechanism they drop by gravity onto horizontal portions of the upper runsof the chains of the receiving conveyor 38. This arrangement does not interfere with the stepby-step movement ofthe plates from horizontal position since the fortions of the plates, it being remembered that Ywhen the plates pass Tonto the conveyor 38v the.'A

corner lugs Ilia of the plates engage the chains *of the conveyor withrthe body portions of thev plates extending dowm' between the chains.

As in the Willard patent, a wiper mechanism is employed to cleanthe forward edges of the plates of excess paste Vas they are liftedoff the auxiliary conveyor byf the take-out mechanism.'

This wiper mechanism includes a xed wiper blade 4|, an intermittently reciprocating cleaner blade 42 beneath the wiper blade 4| andat its forward edge engaging. the lower side of the front portion cf the wiper bladeM, and a fixed blade `43 the front edge of which is adapted to engage the under side of the reciprocating cleaner blade 42. As fully explained in the Willard patent, the adhering to 4|, and as the blade 42 moves back and forth between the front portions of the blades 4| and 43 its forward edge is cleared of paste. Although the arrangement and functioning of the blades are asin the Willard patent, the ciprocated by improved cleaner blade 42 is remeans which will be de- The power unit is in the main similar to that of the Willard patent but has been improved and simplified by the elimination of one cam on the intermittently rotated shaft to be referred to. The power unit is supported in the lower Ypart of the frame and includes a motor 44 which through spur gearing 45 drives a shaft ofV reduction -gearing in a gear case 46 from whichv extends a constantly rotating main drive shaft 41. Through bevel gearing 48 this shaft 41 shaft 49 which drives which in turn continuously drives the chains of the main and auxiliary conveyor sections I6 and I1.

In line with shaft 41 is an intermittently actuated shaft 58 which is adapted to be clutched to shaft 41 through the medium of a clutch 5| which when engaged makes one revolution and members. The engagement and disengagement of the clutch are controlled by a cam member 58 which normally lies closely adjacent to the slotted face of the driving disk 55 in position `to cam the dog 51 out of one of the slots 55. The cam lmember 58 is carried by a pivoted arm 58 which `is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 11 by a spring 60 but is adapted to be momentarily shifted from that position so as to allow the clutch to engage by a link 6| connected to the plunger of a solenoid 62 shown conventionally in Figs. 10 and 11. This solenoid is adapted energized by the switch 21 which is actuated by each plate as it reaches the end of its forward movement on the auxiliary conveyor I1. When the solenoid is energized it retracts cam 58 allowing the dog 51 to drop into one of the slots 56 of disk 55, and when Vthe driven clutch member 53 has made one revolution, the clutch is disengaged by reason of the fact that the cam 58 cams the dog 51 from the slot 56, the solenoid meanwhile having been deenergized. Intermittently driven shaft '50 is preferably provided with a suitable Ibrake indicated at 63 to prevent the driven clutch member and `shaft 50 from overrunning. `Various types of brakes may be employed, but in this instance the brake is of the friction disk type.

During each intermittent revolution of shaft 58 intermittent movements are imparted to the toothed wheels 28 chains 29 of the take-out mechanism, to the chains of the receiving conveyor 38, and to the reciprocating cleaner blade 42. To accomplish this, the shaft 50 is provided with two cams 64 and 65 which are engaged by rollers 66 carried by levers 6'! and 58 which are normally biased downward by coil springs 69 with the corresponding rollers engaging the peripheries of the cams.

One of the levers 61 is connected by a link v10 to an arm 1| fixed to a horizontal shaft 12. This shaft has secured to it a second arm 13 which is connected by a rod 14 attached at its upperend to an arm 15 mounted to swing on a shaft 16 and carrying a pawl 11 engaging the teeth of a ratchet wheel 18 which is secured to the shaft 16, this shaft having a pair of sprockets which are engaged by the chains of the receiving conveyor 38. Thus each time the solenoid 62 is energized, causing the temporary engagement of the clutch 5|, the chains of the receiving conveyor 38 are given one of their intermittent movements sufficient in extent to advance the desired distance the plates 5 which have already been deposited on the chains by the takeout mechanism.

Connected to the free end of lever 58 is an upstanding arm 19 which at its upper end is connected to an arm carrying a pawl 8| which engages the teeth of a ratchet wheel 82 secured to the upper horizontal shaft 35 to which'is secured the upper pair of sprockets 34 which are to be momentarily as the same are viewed in Figs. 1, 4, and 7, and they are held by a suitable spring pawl 83 from turning in the reverse di rection on the down stroke of the arm 88 with its actuating pawl 8|. The arm 80 is in the nature of a bell crank and has a second arm 84 provided at its freeend with a roller 85 engaging in a slot 86 of an arm 81 having at its lower end a hub 88 mounted for oscillatory movement on the lower shaft 3| carrying the toothed wheels 28. This arm 81 carries a pawl 89 which engages the teeth of a ratchet wheel .98 fixed to the shaft 3|. Each time that the arm 80 is swung upward there yis given to the ratchet wheel 82 and to the'upper sprocket wheels and the toothed sprocket engaged by the sprocket angular movement in a clockwise direction as `viewed in Figs. 1, 4, and 1 to impart the .desired increment oi movement to the chains 29.' At the same time a lateral movement is given to the roller 85 to swing the arm 81 a suicient distance to cause the pawl 89 and the ratchet wheel 90 to turn the toothed wheels 28 a sufficient distance (in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1, 4, and '7) to impart to the toothed wheels 28 the same angular or arcuate movement that is imparted to the upper sprocket wheels 34 and the inner runs of the chains 31.

It will be noted particularly by reference to Figs. 4 and 7 that the lower part of the slot 86 at the upper end of arm 81 is substantially radial and that the upper part is at an angle to the lower part. Consequently the angular or rocking movement imparted by the roller to chains 29 a sufficient arm 81 is initially more rapid than the latter part, in fact the angular arrangement of the lower and upper portions of the slot 86 may be such that the entire angular movement which isv imparted to the arm 81 during each cycle of the take-out mechanism may occur while the roller is traveling through the lower radial portion of the slot. Obviously the linear distance between the teeth of the sprocket chains 29 is greater than the linear distance between the peripheral teeth of the toothed wheels 28 and the outer portions of the plates I5 are of course moved a greater linear distance than the inner portions during each cycle of the take-out mechanism. However, by shaping the slots 86 as illustrated and described above, the initial movement and in fact the entire movement of the toothed wheels 28 may be such that the teeth at the peripheries of the toothed wheels 28 move as rapidly as the teeth on the inner runs of the sprocket' chains 29 but for a shorter space of time, and this action or result is preferred. Accordingly, when the plates I5 are initially lifted ori the auxiliary conveyor I1, they are lifted vertically, i. e., are maintained horizontal until the arcuate movement of the toothed wheels 28 is completed after which the movement of the sprocket chains continues until their increment of movement is completed during which time the plate is tilted as indicated in Figs. 4 and 7, i. e., is given its increment of arcuate movement. A further advantage of this method of operation is the fact that there is less whipping action imparted to the plates I5 and therefore less likelihood of dislodgment of the paste from the grids. arm 19 and of the arms 80 and 84, the arm 81 is swung from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. '7, and at such time the toothed wheels 28 and the ratchet 90 are held against turning in the reverse direction by a spring finger 9| which engages the ratchet. Not only do the cam 85 and the mechanism above described cause the intermittent movements to be imparted to the toothed wheels 28 and the vsprocket chains 29, but they also cause in each cycle of movement of the take-out mechanism and in predetermined timed relation with respect to the movements imparted to the toothed wheels 28 and the chains 29 the forward and return movements of the cleaner blade 42. This is accomplished by the following mechanism..

lSlidably mounted on the arm 81 is a slide 92 which at its upper end is provided with a hook 93 which is so arranged that during the upward On the return stroke of the l movement of vthe roller 85- it engages this hook 75 and moves the slide 92 upward from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 to the position shown in Fig. '7 a distance determined by the length of a slot 94 which is engaged by a pin carried by the arm 81. Secured to one side of the slide 92 is an arm 95 the lower end of which is bent laterally and is engaged by a roller 96 carried by one arm of a bell crank 91 journaled on a pin 98. The other arm of the bell crank is connected by a sliding pin 99 to the reciprocating cleaner blade 42. Thus during each intermittent actuation of the toothed wheels 28 and the sprocket chains 29 the cleaner blade 42 is moved forwardly in proper timed relation with the movements of the wheels 28 and the chains 29 and is then retracted by the action of a spring |00 which assists gravity in restoring the slide 92 to its lowermost position on the arm 81.

To adapt the machine for storage battery plates of different lengths, the switch 21 including the finger 23, the swinging arm 24, the adjustable stop 2S, the retarder 23a, and the wiper mechanism including the support for ther bell crank 91 can be adjusted as a unit as all these parts are mounted upon a slide IDI which can be moved back and forth lengthwise of the conveyor sections I6 and I1 by turning a shaft |02 (see Figs. 8 and 9). A change in the length of the plates requires a change in the space between the chains of the receiving conveyor 38 and this adjustment can be made by shafts and bevel gearing designated as a whole by the reference character |03 and adapted to be turned by a shaft which may be provided at its outer end with a' crank |04 (see Figs. 1 and 3). Additionally, the parts supported by the slide I0| not only can be adjusted as a unit but they are also independently adjustable. For example, the switch 21, the arm 24, and the adjustable stop 26 are mounted on a support |05'adjustably secured to the slide IOI. The plate retarders 23a i'ncluding the frame 23h are carried by a support |06 and the blades of the wiper mechanism and the bell crank 91 are carried by a support |01 both of which supports are also adjustably secured to the slide |0|. However, no invention is claimed in these features per se as they are fully described in the Willard patent as is also mechanism for stopping the operation of the machine if plates pile up immediately in advance of the auxiliary conveyor I1, this being accomplished by switch controlling mechanism shown partly at |08 in Fig. 9.

While I have shown the preferred construction, I do not desire to be confined to the precise details illustrated and described but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a substantially horizontal conveyor for conveying articles and receiving means extending at substantially right angles to the conveyor, a take-out mechanism for transferring the articles from the conveyor to the receiving means, said take-out mechanism including a pair of wheels having peripheral teeth for engaging under the inner edges of the articles, a pair of chains having teeth for engaging under the outer edges of the articles, a pair of lower sprocket wheels and a pair of upper sprocket wheels about which the chains pass and guides for maintaining the inner runs of the chains in arcs of circles concentric with respect to the toothed wheels, said pair of first-named wheels being spaced from and located substantially horizontally opposite the pair of lower sprocket wheels and being spaced from and located substantially vertically below said pair of upper sprocket Wheels, and said receiving means being independent of said pairs of wheels and chains and having its inner end adjacent to said wheels and to the outer ends of the chains in position such that when the articles being transferred by the take-out mechanism from the conveyor to the receiving means reach substantially vertical position they pass onto the inner end of the receiving means.

2. A take-out mechanism for transferring articles from a substantially horizontal conveyor to receiving means, said take-out mechanism including a pair of wheels having peripheral teeth for engaging under the inner edges of the articles, a pair of chains having teeth for engaging under the outer edges of the articles, guides s for maintaining the inner runs of the chains in arcs of circles concentric with respect to the toothed wheels, and means for intermittently actuating the toothed wheels and chains, said means including a rocking part for actuating the chains and means operated by said part for actuating the toothed wheels, said receiving means being independent of said wheels and chains and having its inner end located adjacent to said wheels and the outer ends of said chains.

3. A take-out mechanism for transferring articles from a substantially horizontal conveyor to receiving means, said take-out mechanism including a pair of wheels having peripheral teeth for engaging under the inner edges of the articles, a pair of chains having teeth for engaging under the outer edges of the articles, guides for maintaining the inner runs of the chains in arcs of circles concentric with respect to the toothed wheels, and means for intermittently actuating the toothed wheels and chains, said means comprising a rocking part for actuating the chains and a second rocking part for actuating the toothed wheels, one of said parts having a slot and the other having a projection extending into the slot.

4. In combination, a take-out mechanism for transferring articles from a substantially horizontal conveyor to receiving means, said takeout mechanism including a pair of wheels having peripheral teeth for engaging under the inner edges of the articles, a pair of chains having teeth for engaging under the outer edges of the articles and guides for maintaining the inner runs of the chains in arcs of circles concentric with respect to the toothed wheels, and means for actuating said take-out mechanism including an intermittently operated power shaft having an actuating cam thereon and mechanism operated by said cam for actuating both the chains and the toothed wheels.

5. In combination with a substantially horizontal conveyor for conveying at articles and receiving means located above and extending at substantially right angles to the conveyor, a takeout mechanism for transferring the articles from the conveyor to the receiving means with the articles delivered thereto in substantially vertical position, said take-out mechanism including toothed members for engaging under the inner edges of the articles and toothed members for engaging under the outer edges of the articles, and mechanism including means for simultaneously imparting equal arcuate movements to said inner and outer toothed members with the inner toothed members moved at least initially. as fast as the outer toothed members during each cycle of movement.

6. In combination with a substantially horizontal conveyor for conveying iiat articles and receiving means located above and extending at substantially right angles to the conveyor, a take-out mechanism for transferring the articles from the conveyor to the receiving means with the articles delivered thereto in substantially vertical position, said take-out mechanism including toothed members for engaging under the inner edges of the articles and toothed members for engaging under the outer edges of the articles, and mechanism for giving intermittent movements to said inner and outer toothed members including means for causing said inner toothed members and outer toothed members to be actuated at the same time but with the angular movement of the inner toothed members completed prior to the angular movement of the outer toothed members.

7. In combination with a substantially horizontal conveyor for conveying at articles such as storage battery plates and receiving means extending above and at substantially right angles to the conveyor, a take-out mechanism for transferring the articles from the conveyor to the receiving means and for delivering the same to the latter in substantially vertical position, said takeout mechanism including toothed members for engaging under the inner edges of the articles and toothed members for engaging under the outer edges of the articles, a Wiper mechanism for wiping edges of the articles as they are moved by the take-out mechanism including a reciprocatory blade and mechanism for giving said takeout mechanism and blade intermittent movements including an intermittently operated power driven shaft with a power transmitting member thereon, and means operatively connecting said power transmitting member to the inner toothed members, to the outer toothed members, and to said reciprocatory blade.

- PAUL I-I. VOTH. 

